Lothar Zogg

Lothar Zogg is a name that has been reused several times in different contexts over the past eighty years. I love the way it sounds, partly because it's a deliciously evil space emperor-sounding name, and partly because it has such a nice rhythm.

Lothar was enormously strong, sometimes referred to as the world's strongest man. He was togged in a leopard skin and a fez. For a long time, his character spoke poor English and was basically Mandrake's manservant. Eventually (about thirty years later) he learned better English and found some new clothes, but even in his original role, he was a milestone in the racial integration of comics, fighting alongside Mandrake and commanding respect from other characters.

Lothar attempts to talk Kong down when the pilot decides to continue on the mission after receiving an order to turn back, saying that there is no way the enemy would know the correct code to countermand orders; he's argued down because the order did not come in over the secure equipment, which was damaged beyond repair by a missile attack. He also stays on the plane with Kong when the rest of the crew bails and parachutes.

Again, Lothar, despite the fact that he is referred to as a "colored man" throughout the script, represents a step forward as a strong black character in a thoroughly white movie made during a more racist era than today. He's one of the strongest characters in the movie, perhaps the only important character who isn't deeply flawed in some way.